The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-10-25
THE OPIUM BRIBERY SCANDAL.

lHE uTium pnipEnI ouhNDHLs
EDITOR BULLETIN: IL think the
country will be surprised and
shocked at the tone of the Govern
ment organ yesterday in reference
to the opium bribery scandal. 1t is
evident the Government has taken
no steps to enforce a settlement of
this scandalous affair, and judging
from the tone of the "Gazette," it
has no intention of doing 50. Speak
ing of the unsettled state of this
scandal the Gazette" says:
GAS it was taken up first by the
public as a concern of national repu-
tation, and not at all in the interests
of a syndicate of bribers who de-
served to lose their money, it is to be
presumed that the public will persist
in demanding its settlement for the
sake of the country's good name,
His Majesty promised to submit the
matter TO the investigation of the
new Cabinet, but whether the Min
istry are possessed of legal means
for compelling such submission is
another question. At all events,
the country is entitled TO a ventila-
ton of the question at the approach
ing session of the Legislature"
This is very different note from
what was sounded in the Gazette"
''before the war;" and what was
said at and resolved by the great
public meeting of June Both, on the
shoulders of which Ministers went
into office. There was no sugges-
ton that the Chinese bribe-givers
observed to lose their money"
and it never occurred to any one
then that national honor would be
satisfied with "a ventilation of the
question at The approaching session
of the Legislature. If any one
had suggested such q thing the
meeting would have treated him
much worse than it treated the
Hon. Paul Isenberg for his sensible
and moderate remarks. But that is
what Ministers now suggest, through
their official mouthpiece, the Goa
zette," as q final settlement of the
matter-a dressing of the bribery
boil by Ministerial Surgeons Green,
Brown, Thurston and Ashford,
The public will agree with the
Gazette" that sat all events, the
country is entitled to a ventilation
of the question at the approaching
session of the Legislature; !" but the
Legislature should not ventilate the
bribery transaction so much as the
failure Of Ministers to settle it ac-
cording to their pledge and demand
of the public meeting WHICH made
them what they are. 1t is no excuse
to say, as the HGazette" does:
ellis Majesty promised to submit
the matter to the investigation of
the new Cabinet, but whether the
Ministry are possessed of legal
means for compelling such submis-
sion is another question. This is
a miserable subterfuge, and an IN
manly attempt TO shirk responsible.
lily by insinuating that the King
has broken faith with Ministers and
gone back upon his written pledge.
If the King has done that, Minis
tiers owe it to themselves and the
public who put them in office to
compel an Immediate settlement of
this matter, to resign and make a
full statement of the facts for popu-
lar action. But Ministers do not
resign. They have been as close as
an oyster on the subject. Aki, the
bribe-giver, is dead and gone, no
restitution has been made, and sat
all events the pHblic are entitled to
a ventilation of the question at the
approaching session of the Legisla-
ture."
But the position is this: On June
30th, the people in mass meeting
assembled, led and guided by the
gentlemen who are now Ministers of
the Crown, made this .''request"
among others, which depptation
from it presented later in the day
as "demand" upon the King;
"1Htrd. In order SO far as
possible to remove the stain now
resting on the throne, we request of
the King that he shall cause to be
made immediate restitution of the
sum, to wit, Seyenty-one thousand
dollars lS7l,00O) recently obtained
by him in violation of law and Of his
oath of office, under promise that
the persons from whom the same
was obtained should receive the
license to sell opium, as provided
by statute of the year 1886"
And the King made the following
reply in writings
"To the third proposition, WE
reply that We do not admit the